Could the scrapped heavyweight title fight be a blessing in disguise?

So in just a few short moments, UFC 196 has lost its main event. Twice! That’s a pretty odd state of events to occur even in MMA. Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez both had to withdraw from UFC 196, each heavyweight citing back injuries as the main reason. Just as I stated Cain Velasquez needs to change things with his training, Fabricio Werdum had to go and cite the very same injury. To many people it may be a heartbreaking turn of events. UFC 196 has lost its main draw. Or has it? If you ask me, which you didn’t but I’ll answer anyways, UFC 196 is no worse for wear with the withdrawal of the two heavyweight headliners. In fact the co-main event seemed to be even more intriguing than the battle for the heavyweight title. Johny Hendricks vs Stephen Thompson was shaping up to be a can’t miss fight heading into UFC 196. With things as they stand now it seems very likely that the welterweight tilt will take over as the main event for UFC 196, and frankly it’s likely to be the better headliner in the long run. So why would a Johny Hendricks vs Stephen Thompson main event be even more intriguing than the one we had before? Firstly, we’ve already seen the bout between Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez play out once before. Werdum and Velasquez battled back and forth until the champion gained the upper hand and forced Velasquez to shoot for a takedown right into a guillotine choke. Pretty emphatic victory on all accounts. Second, and this is really the important piece of the puzzle, the bout between Hendricks and Thompson is likely going to decide who will have the next shot at UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Whoever comes out on top will have proven that they are a worthy challenge for Lawler moving forward. Hendricks has devastating power, while Thompson has flashy technique with great fundamentals. Both are well rounded, Thompson in particular improving his game tremendously since entering the UFC. These two welterweights match up very well and the style clash will truly be something intriguing to behold. The main event slot would put more eyes on the two welterweights as well as give them five rounds to decide the winner. Being a former champion Hendricks should still be able to draw. Being an up and comer with tremendous skill and potential, Stephen Thompson has the opportunity to prove that guys like Georges St. Pierre were right about him being a future UFC champion one day. What do you think the main event of UFC 196 should be? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor and geek culture enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter and keep up with his latest exploits.